As of 2013, residential fires in the U.S. caused an estimated 2,755 deaths, 12,450 injuries, and losses of more than $6.8 billion. (See “Residential Building Fire Trends (2004-2013)”, USFA Fire Estimate Summary, Residential Building Fires, FEMA, July 2015.) The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that, in the U.S., 16,800 home structure fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines were reported in 2010. (See John R. Hall, Jr., “Home Fires Involving Clothes Dryers and Washing Machines”, NFPA Fires Analysis & Research, Quincy, Mass., September 2012.) In 89.6% of clothes dryer fires occurring in residential buildings, an automatic extinguishing system (AES) is not present. (See “Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010)”, Topical Fire Report Series, Vol. 13, Issue 7, FEMA, August 2012.) Dryer fires may occur, for example, due to the presence of excess lint buildup; a worn belt; or a stuck thermostat.
A sprinkler system is present in less than 2% of all existing single family and two-family homes. The costs can be prohibitive in some cases. Estimated costs to install a sprinkler system in new residential construction range from several hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. (See Hayden Brown, “Economic Analysis of Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems”, NISTIR 7277, December 2005.)
While rarely present in a residential setting, commercial sprinkler systems are available but require substantial capital and must be installed by certified professionals. Commercial sprinkler systems may have an annunciator present in the system. In these systems, the annunciator, such as a water motor gong, is typically located on an outside wall and connected at the water source leading to the sprinkler system, i.e., not proximal to a sprinkler head. Commercial annunciators are generally designed to alert fire department personnel to the presence of a fire, rather than to alert occupants of a need to evacuate.
Conventional sprinkler heads are designed to activate only under intense heat. In many well-known sprinklers, the head is equipped with a glass bulb containing liquid which expands with increasing temperature. The bulb bursts when exposed to a trigger temperature threshold, thus activating the sprinkler head and allowing water to flow therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,579 to George provides a portable automatic fire sprinkler for the home using an existing fixture as the water source. The George sprinkler head is suspended, for example by a wire hanger, above a heat system or clothes washer/dryer. George discloses copper tubing or flexible tube for delivering a sufficient amount of water to the sprinkler head. The George sprinkler as disclosed is not positioned in accordance with most residential fire and/or building codes.
United States Application Publication No. 2002/0184786 to Miller II is drawn to a fire arrester for use with a clothes dryer, which disconnects power to the dryer if fire is detected and may also deliver an extinguishing agent to the interior of the dryer. The Miller II device optionally can be used to provide local and/or remote alarms activated by an electronic and/or wireless signal emitted by a detector. Miller II teaches a detector, preferably a smoke detector, located in at least one location in the exhaust path and/or the ventilation path. The Miller II extinguishing agent, such as carbon dioxide, is delivered from a canister to the dryer's air inlet or exhaust vent. Miller II discourages use of water for this purpose, due to a need for extensive plumbing, retrofit of spray nozzles, electrical equipment protection and/or catch basins.
United States Application Publication No. 2003/0010509 to Hoffman teaches a fire extinguishing system for incorporation with a clothes dryer in a home laundry area, or with other large, heat producing appliances. The Hoffman system comprises a fire extinguisher spray head connect to a main water line and is equipped with a fitting including an electronic, automatically-actuated water shutoff valve. The Hoffman system also electronically provides automatic shutoff of the electrical circuit associated with the heat-producing appliance and may optionally electronically actuate a local and/or distant alarm. In one embodiment, the Hoffman system relies on an electrically actuated, normally closed, solenoid valve to provide water to a spray nozzle or head. Hoffman teaches that most or all of the fire extinguisher system is installed within a conventional electrical outlet box.
A need remains for an inexpensive, simple to install, automatic fire extinguishing device and alarm system that is easily positioned in a suitable location, particularly a system that alerts residents to a fire without relying on an electricity source.